The National Football League is pulling the plug on elaborate, customized face masks that several prominent NFL defensive players had planned to wear this season.
In an email to the Associated Press, NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy said that the customized mask that Indianapolis Colts linebacker Robert Mathis had been wearing during training camp would not be approved for use during games.

It's hard for me to think of a reason for this rule except the league may have a concern over the player playing with "blind spots" or opponents' fingers getting caught and twisted/broken in the small spaces, or in the case of visors, creating reflection into the opponents eyes. With that said, I'm starting more and more to warm up to the idea that face masks should be removed altogether. Have the players think twice before they engage their skulls and faces........without first engaging their brain.

It's hard for me to think of a reason for this rule except the league may have a concern over the player playing with "blind spots" or opponents' fingers getting caught and twisted/broken in the small spaces, or in the case of visors, creating reflection into the opponents eyes. With that said, I'm starting more and more to warm up to the idea that face masks should be removed altogether. Have the players think twice before they engage their skulls and faces........without first engaging their brain.

Every time I look at those particular face masks I think that very thing. I instinctively retract my fingers to my hand...lol.

It's hard for me to think of a reason for this rule except the league may have a concern over the player playing with "blind spots" or opponents' fingers getting caught and twisted/broken in the small spaces, or in the case of visors, creating reflection into the opponents eyes. With that said, I'm starting more and more to warm up to the idea that face masks should be removed altogether. Have the players think twice before they engage their skulls and faces........without first engaging their brain.

I showed up to work wearing ties for the last 15 yrs. I'm still waiting for that one rebel in the building to take off his and slam it to the floor yelling," I hate ties! Why do we have to wear them?"

Well, I don't think any player has been that melodramatic about the facemask thing, have they? Either way, people do that with ties all the time. I did several years ago. I have a job now where I wear jeans and a t-shirt to work, and the only thing I sacrificed was the tie. Better career, better people, better job. Of course, the NFL has a monopoly, so they get to dictate.

__________________Hey O'Brien: "How do you tell a guy who is used to catching 80 balls a year that he was going to catch 40?"... You jackass.

“It’s kind of tough. Obviously it’s different. And it does have a sort of look appeal to it. But it’s also for protection as well. We’re supposed to be all about protection and we get denied for something that benefits us. It’s something that’s kind of disheartening.”

Evidently, the League has found that most of these custom masks are designed to make a player "stand out" or appear more "ominous." The ban of such masks seem to follow the trend of banning excessive celebration. It appears the NFL prefers the players to remain faceless numbers on jerseys. The medical exceptions such as with Canty and Justin will still be recognized.